AUSTIN, Texas (March 8, 2019) – Lubbock Christian University scored runs early and scored them often in Friday's 13-7 series-opening win against St. Edward's.
 
The Chaps rapped out 16 hits, which was tied for their third most in a single game this season, including four home runs, two of which came off the bat of Andrew Pratt.  For Pratt, it was his second multi-homer game of the season, after he homered twice in a game last weekend against St. Mary's. He now has six on the season, which ranks first in the Heartland Conference.
 
Pratt's first homer of the game came in the game's opening inning with Hill Alexander on second base after a walk and a balk to give LCU a 2-0 lead. James Hardberger added to the lead with another home run in the second, but his was with no runners on base. All three of Hardberger's four-baggers have come without runners on base.
 
The third inning was the highest scoring of the day for Lubbock Christian, as Pratt and Keaton Greenwalt both reached to lead off the inning. The next two batters, Andres Negron and Hardberger, doubled to right field to score three runs. Hardberger then moved to third on a flyout and scored on a single from Eddy Vasquez.
 
Two more solo home runs came in the top of the fourth inning, as Braden Hayward hit one to left field to lead off the inning and Pratt hit his second of the day to give the Chaps a 9-0 lead. Pratt's multi-homer was the fifth LCU has had this season.
 
St. Edward's got their first and only run off of Lubbock Christian's starter, Ryan Johnson, who pitched seven innings for his fifth straight outing. Johnson has won all five of the decisions he has taken this year and added seven strikeouts to his already league-leading total.
 
LCU got the run back in the top of the seventh on a double from Vasquez that scored Negron. It was the third multi-hit game of the year for Vazquez. The Chaps added two more runs in the eighth on a Hill Alexander single up the middle and a sacrifice fly from Negron, before SEU began their comeback attempt.
 
The Hilltoppers got five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, all of which came off Chap reliever Shandon Herrera but were unearned. Koi Carrillo replaced Herrera and got LCU out of the jam, closing out the ninth inning with just one run allowed.
 
Lubbock Christian and St. Edward's will face off three more times this weekend, playing a doubleheader Saturday starting at 12:30 before Sunday's series finale at 1 p.m.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
15 – LCU increased its conference lead in home runs during the game to 25, 15 of which have been with the bases empty
1 – Coming into the game with an ERA of just 1.59, starting pitcher Ryan Johnson was actually able to lower it, giving up just one run in seven innings and moving it down to 1.54
.019 – With four home runs and three doubles, LCU raised its slugging percentage from .504 to .523
3 – Three different Chaps had three-hit games on the day, including the first of the season for James Hardberger and Andres Negron